Tetranychus palmidectes n. sp.

(Figures 3 and 4)

Diagnosis — Female with dorso hysterosomal striae longitudinal between members of the third and the fourth pairs of dorsocentral setae setae, forming a diamond shaped pattern; tarsus I with one tactile seta proximal to and three tactile setae in line with proximal duplex setae; empodium with a large dorsomedian spur, more than half as long as proximoventral hairs; area immediately anterior to genital cover devoid of striae.

Male — aedeagus with ventral margin evenly curved dorsad, the terminal knob slightly wider than its stem and with anterior and posterior angulations acute.

Female — (n = 10). Gnathosoma: peritremes strongly hooked (Figure 4D); palp tarsus with terminal sensillum (spinneret) thick, about as long as broad (Figure 3E); stylophore rounded anteriorly; buccal cone with anterior adoral setae spinelike; second pair conspicuous, blade shaped; third pair minute, barely noticeable, probably due to its more dorsal insertion (Figure 3F). Dorsal body setae finely serrate, long; lengths: V2 68-75, 68-75 apart; Sc1 131-143, 86-94 apart; Sc2 90-98; c1 113-124, 60- 71 apart; c2 105-124; c3 109-120; d1 113-124, 94-101 apart; d2 120-128; e1 113-120, 30-49 apart; e2 113- 124; f1 90-101, 26-49 apart; f2 75-79; h1 38-45, h2 38-45. Dorsal integumental striae longitudinal between members of setae e1 and members of setae f1 (third and fourth pairs of dorsocentral setae), forming a diamond shaped pattern. Area immediately anterior to genital area smooth, devoid of striae (Figure 3G). Leg chaetotaxy, solenidia in parentheses, alternative count in brackets, from coxae to tarsi: I — 2-1-9[10]-5-9(1)-13(1) + 2 duplexes; II — 2-1-6-5-7-13(1) + 1 duplex; III — 1-1-4-6-9[10](1); IV — 1-1-4-4-7-10(1). Tarsus I with one tactile seta proximal to proximal duplex setae and three tactile setae almost in line with proximal duplex setae (Figure 3A); empodium split into three pairs of proximoventral hairs and with a dorsomedian spur, longer than half the length of proximoventral hairs (Figure 3C); tarsus II with three tactile setae and one solenidion proximal to duplex seta and one tactile seta near duplex setae (Figure 3B); empodium similar to empodium I, as well as III and IV.

Idiosoma 326-412, body including rostrum 420-

Flechtmann C.H.W.

506; widest shortly behind level of setae c3, 244-319 wide.

Male — (holotype and 6 paratypes). Gnathosoma: palpus with terminal sensillum (spinneret) short, slightly conical, smaller than that of female

(Figure 4C).

Leg chaetotaxy, solenidia in parentheses, from coxae to tarsi: I — 2-1-9-5-8(4)-12(4) + 2 duplexes; II — 2-1-6-5-7-14(1) + 1 duplex; III — 1-1-4-4-6-9(1); IV — 1-1-4-4-7-10(1). Tarsus I with two solenidia and two tactile setae situated proximal to proximal duplex setae, one solenidion and one tactile seta almost in line with proximal duplex setae (Figure 4A); empodium I a robust trifid plate with a well developed mediodorsal spur (Figure 4A). Tarsus II with one solenidion and four tactile setae proximal to duplex setae (Figure 4B); empodia II-IV split into three pairs of proximoventral hairs and with a well developed dorsomedian spur (Figure 4B). Aedeagus with broad shaft, curved evenly dorsad, the terminal knob slightly wider than stem and with anterior and posterior angulations acute (Figure 4E).

Etymology — the specific designation palmidectes is derived from palm tree plus the Greek dektes, dektikos, meaning able to bite, that is, palm leaf puncturing, feeding.

Type material — holotype male, 6 male and 19 female paratypes, from leaves of the ruffled fan palm, Licuala grandis H. Wendl. (Arecaceae), Lamentin, Ravine Chaude, Guadeloupe, coll. J. Étienne, 19 October 2007, on 19 microscopic preparations in the collection of Departamento de Entomologia e Acarologia, Escola Superior de Agricultura "Luiz de Queiroz", Piracicaba, SP, Brazil.

Remarks — T. palmidectes n. sp. is to be placed in group 6 of Tetranychus species as defined by Flechtmann and Knihinicki (2002). The host plant is an ornamental palm originating from Vanuatu (New Hebrides) and New Guinea and is cultivated mainly in umbrofilous environments.

Together with this spider mite, specimens of a predacious mite, Neoseiulus longispinus (Evans, 1952) ( Mesostigmata: Phytoseiidae) were collected. Species identified by Gilberto J. de Moraes who reported it previously from Guadeloupe (Moraes et al., 2000).